Tag Archives: gluten free

I know that it has been a while since I have blogged, so sorry! But I am hoping that this will make up for my absence. here is the perfect, super healthy, delicious, rich in nutrients, high in anti-oxidants ideal addition to your thanksgiving dinner menu.This dish will help to balance out your meal, so that you can eat guilt free this Thanksgiving.

This is the pilaf of all times. I am calling it the super food pilaf; vegetarian, antioxidant-rich, high in protein and fiber and full of tasty healthy natural goodness!.

Fresh cranberries are high in a multitude of cancer-protective nutrients and are also an incredible food for lowering inflammation in our bodies. They contain a unique mix of potent antioxidant; proanthocyanidins, resveratrol, pterostilbene, and Vitamin C. Proanthocyanidins are anti-inflammatory, have been shown to be helpful in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and help to improve immune system function. Resveratrol and pterostilbene are the amazing anti-aging compounds also found in red wine. So eat up and feel great – i happen to be a fan of that combo!

How? Here is the recipe, enjoy and happy holidays!

wild rice; use 1 1/2 cups wild rice per 3 cups water bring to boil then place on low to medium heat for about 40 minutes or until grains are soft and water is all absorbed. Let the rice cool.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the oil then the onions and sauté until slightly brown and softened. Then add the cranberries and kale; sauté about 5 minutes. Add the cooked wild rice, salt, and pepper; and chopped jalapeno if desire then sauté 5 to 6 more minutes. Stir in sweetener of desire. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary and voila!

Satisfy your curry craving with this delicious, simple, late-summer dish. It’s easy to make, fast to prepare and your taste buds will love you and this treat! This recipe is gluten-free but filled with all sorts of goodness.Its also super high in health giving nutrients that fight inflammation, decrease cancer and promote your overall longevity.

Double your pleasure and the recipe’s usefulness by puréeing the leftovers the next day with low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth for a fabulous, satisfying soup (add a touch of coconut milk or yogurt or even a few slices of avocado for extra creaminess)….yum!

I am always looking for crunchy healthy snacks that are low in carbs, high in protein and not laden with bad oils. This is why I originally created flackers. Having said that, a girl needs alternatives and choices, right? There is always room for other healthy snack food, here is my second favorite: high in fiber, protein and a good healthy alternative to chips…popped chickpeas…yum!

Popped Chickpeas –

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 can of chickpeas, drained

Your favorite spices to taste

Directions

Sauté the chickpeas in the olive oil until they pop. Sprinkle with your favorite spices to taste. Enjoy!

After my beet greens post the other day I thought I was too! But then I thought two things

1. if you have beet greens, then you usually also have beets. So maybe I should say something about these lovely healthy root vegetables like how they are packed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detox potential goodness.

2. To top it all off I then saw this recipe in www.vegetariantimes.com and I could not resist doing post number two on beets and sharing. Besides even if you do not like beets, spicy roasted? Doesn’t that sound delish? Perhaps this recipe will tempt you to give them a try, they are in season after all…

Recipe:

2 bunches of beets, golden preferred (tops removed-but now you know what you can do with those babies right?), washed and quartered. You may also peel if you like but you would miss out on some good fiber

2 tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1 pinch of chili powder

preheat over to 400 degrees. Toss all ingredients together and spread on baking sheet, Bake for 30-40 minutes or until beets are tender. Turn them over once. Salt pepper as desired and enjoy…yum!

With berry and cherry season well on its way I know some of you out there must be making lip-smacking, scrumptious pies. I had a client ask me how to make a crust that is gluten-free and still tasty. I upped the ante: here is one that is gluten-free, raw, incredibly healthy and super delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cups Almonds Soaked overnight

1 cup Walnuts Soaked overnight

Rinse, pat the nuts dry

1 cup Dates, pitted, soaked in water

Dash of Sea Salt

Vanilla extract (optional)

In a food processor or high-speed blender, process all ingredients. You can even toss in a few cinnamon currant flackers for more omega 3’s and extra fiber. Use a tsp or a tbsp of water, if necessary to form dough texture.

Step aside spinach there is a new green in town! I am speaking about my favorite all time green, my garden growing friend and super healthy crunchy leafy green – the incredible fabulous amazing kale! Kale and its incredible health benefits have actually been around for a long time. Quietly, yes, but believe it or not there was kale before there was kale chips! I have been eating this funky looking vegetable for years and as with many good things, it is hard to keep them under the radar for too long. Eventually their amazing qualities shine bright and this year, it’s kale’s turn to be in the spotlight.

I just had my favorite kale salad, freshly picked from the garden, and I feel super energized with fabulous green power!

So here are the many reasons I love Kale and you should too!

1. kale is a member of the Brassica family of vegetables, (also include are broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts) that have gained quite the reputation as potential cancer-fighting foods. Kale is packed with the organosulfur compounds that may actually help the liver neutralize potentially cancerous substances.

2. Kale is full of beta-carotene, an important nutrient for good vision also the prevention of cataracts.

3. Kale is also an excellent source of vitamin C, just one cup will give you 88% of your RDA of vitamin C which is great for your immune system and helpful for protection against viruses like the common cold as well as the flu.

4. Kale is rich in minerals, such as iron, manganese, calcium and potassium. Potassium is excellent to help reduce blood pressure. Calcium is needed for optimal bone integrity.

5. A cup of kale provides 10.4% of the daily value for fiber, which has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels. Fiber can also help out by keeping blood sugar levels under control, so kale is an excellent vegetable for people with diabetes.

Need I say more?

Recipes:

Really easy- if you are super busy, just buy your favorite pesto (made with olive oil of course) or make your own and take the leaves off of the kale stem, compost the stem and puree the leaves with the pesto. Now you have this enriched delicious guilt free pesto..yum. Try it on your favorite cracker or a flacker, it is really divine….

Easy and cooked- sauté kale 1-2 cups (take the leafy part of the stem and toss the stem. The leafy part is the sweetest and most tender) with fresh garlic (1-2 cloves) and a little water (or extra virgin olive oil) then sprinkle with lemon juice, sea salt and/or olive oil before serving.

Easy and raw- Again take the leaves of the kale (2 cups is perfect) and place in a bowl. Add a tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, a tsp of sea salt and 2 tbsp of lemon juice then using your hands crunch up the leaves so they get soft (the salt helps to breakdown the cell walls of the kale which makes it softer and sweeter and more delicious). May add 1 cup of mushrooms and/or red onions, walnuts to get some omega-3 fatty acids and then let it marinate a little, maybe an hour then enjoy.

Just got back from a very exciting trip to NYC, ok beyond exciting, thrilling actually. Yesterday I met with The Bobbi Brown! And she was absolutely fabulous and wonderful and I am so grateful that I could spend time with such a talented superstar who by the by, also adores flackers. ( especially the new ones, cinnamon currants.)

Well I can go on about that but I digress….So what are my favorite travel companions? Well, naturally they are food, aside from a few items of clothing I would guess that at least a third of my baggage is filled with edibles. You never know if you will get stranded, or delayed and so I make sure that in case of an emergency, I will not go hungry, nor will I miss out on my daily nutrition!

For starters I always travel with flackers to make sure that I am going to get omega-3 fatty acids and of course plenty of fiber. Traveling and sitting on long journeys really can slow down the GI system so many people including myself have to have fiber. The other item I never leave home with is chocolate, dark chocolate to be specific. I add a few sprouted nuts and seeds to my mix so that my sweet tooth is balanced with protein and good fats, and I am god to go!

We know that it is good for you-and thank god for that! They make for the perfect sweet snack that I can enjoy daily without any guilt. I always take my own because I want to make sure that the cocoa content is greater than 65% and I want to make sure that the main ingredient is not sugar. The only way I can do this is to bring my own.

My next favorite must have when traveling is a chocolate green beverage that I adore called ‘amazon chocolate’ and/or ‘amazing grass”, both wonderful. Just add water and voila, I have my rich tasting, healthy low-calorie, superfood beverage. I actually carry a BPA free bottle with me, pour in the powder but no water until I go through security, (yes, it is still code orange alert these days), but then simply add H2O and it is fabulous. Keeping well hydrated is key to successful traveling. It will keep you feeling energized and well lubricated on those dry flights.

Naturally I have a few more goodies in my travel bag but no matter if I am traveling across the country or just within city limits, these are my favorite saviours that have served me quite well.

Alison Levitt, MD

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about the doctor in the kitchen

I have always been passionate about eating well and being healthy. I believe that “Good Food is Wise Medicine”. This is why I started Doctor in the Kitchen™; to make super healthy food products for people who want to eat well, feel great and strive for optimal health and vitality.
This blog is my way of sharing what I know with you about natural medicine, herbs and nutrition - hopefully by reading it you can stay optimally healthy and feel fabulous every day of your life.

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